'Our town faces a bus drought'
BRADLEY Stoke councillors are stepping up their campaign against what they fear will be a "bus drought" in the town.
Wessex Connect is set to cut five bus services for the town next month. Commuters and councillors fear this will leave the south of Bradley Stoke without a daytime bus service in and out of Bristol, six days a week.
From May 20, Wessex Connect will be cutting the U7, U7A, U8, which service the town, and the Monday-Saturday 482/483 service between Chipping Sodbury and Cribbs Causeway.
South Gloucestershire Council's Integrated Transport Unit (ITU) has been asked to investigate the potential for alternative provision.
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In a joint statement, Conservative councillors for Bradley Stoke South, Rob Jones and John Ashe, said: "We're facing a bus drought, which is ridiculous when you consider the large number of residents who live here. We have been contacted by many local residents who are concerned at the impact that Wessex Connect's actions will have on them.
"We are pleased that council officers are working up options to minimise the effect on our residents who depend on public transport for getting around. When we hear bus companies say that they cannot make a bus service commercially viable from a town the size of Bradley Stoke to major destinations like the city centre and Cribbs Causeway, you really have to question the competence of these companies' management."
A series of meetings involving officers, councillors and possibly transport providers over the coming weeks will discuss any alternatives to the problem. The Mayor of Bradley Stoke, Councillor Ben Walker, is asking any social enterprise or community transport providers in the area to get in contact if they can help, by e-mailing ben.walker@southglos.gov.uk.
In a letter to customers, Wessex Connect said: "Wessex continues to face challenges in the current economic climate with continued cost increases and limited opportunity to increase existing revenue without extortionate price increases.
"Following the recent decision by the Chancellor to continue with the fuel duty rate increase planned for August 2012, along with the reduction in Bus Service Operator's Grant by 20 per cent from April 2012 and current increasing fuel costs, we have reviewed our network of services and ability to operate services within the current climate."
Comments
by Chipnum
Friday, May 04 2012, 1:52PM
“This is what you get if planners allow an urban geography based around the private car. If you go onto Google Maps and look at Bradley Stoke you will see a very dense network of cul-de-sacs leading off a few junctions on the main roads (in America these main roads are called 'arterials').
Looking at the map you can see that a bus would not be able to travel through the residential areas as the road layout is specifically designed to prevent through routes which would create rat runs for cars. Buses are therefore confine to the main roads with bus stops being remote from where people actually live. This ohysical layout virtually guarantees low bus use, and therefore high car use.
The following article although quoting American experience describes the situation perfectly:
http://tinyurl.com/crh2f4p
If you want good public transport you must live within walking distance of a road with a high frequency bus route.
In complete contrast to Bradley Stoke take a look at the Dutch town of Almere, near Amsterdam, here the town was designed around a network of busways, everywhere is within a short walk of a bus stop. The buses run like clockwork because they don't mix with other traffic. This is true Bus Rapid Transit, as the system functions like a road-based metro. The busway network focal point is the town centre and the railway station offering frequent services to Amsterdam:
http://tinyurl.com/4x3kba9”
by Tiny_Steve
Tuesday, May 01 2012, 12:37PM
“Hm, would these councillors be from the same party that has just cut funding grants to local bus operators?”